Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1887-03-25
WASHINGTON LETTER
(From our Regular Corrcspondcni0
aun7

| BTCHKS III lne Odoinct, tue sui ntuu-
less Treasury Department, Speaker Cai :
isles refusal of that portfolio, the in
completed Inter State Commerce Com
mission, and the dangerous illness of
the new Recorder of Deeds, Mr.. Trot-
ter, are some of the things that have
happened and been talked about at the
Capital during the past week,
On Friday the President celebrated
his iirtirth birthday in very quiet
manner. He received birthday cards
and floral tributes and congratulations
in great quantities, but he attended TO
his official duties in the morning and
received the usual concourse of people
in the East Room ut o'clock. In the
evening lie went to the theater unac-
companied by Mrs. Cleveland, who is in
mourning now for her grandmother.
The habit of duplicating pay accounts
by army officers has received q fresh
impulse and is becoming epidemic. The
latest accession to the ranks of military
financial crooks is Lieut.. Wilcox, 7th
cavalry, who was arrested in st. Louis
and sent to Fort Smelling to be court
martialed. This makes five army Off
GERS who have gone wrong within the
past year. All these cases occurred
west of the Mississippi. The practical
desertion of five officers makes even n
worse showing than the annual deser-
tion of per cent of the enlisted men
of the army, for the latter are compelled
to serve the first six months without
pay.
The bringing of country lawyer
from Wisconsin to be chief clerk of the
Postoffice Department illustrates the
civil service reform farce MS it is now
played, If the competitive examina-
tion system is worth anything, it's fruits
must be the development from within
the departments of the best men for
chief clerkships and other places where
the most perfect knowledge of the bust
ness of the bureau is required. An Off
Ger brought in from outside the depart
ment is necessarily for long time a
mere figure head, who is compelled to
depend upon the skill, experience and
fidelity of his subordinates.
In the notable educational convention
held here during the past week, which
was attended by the superintendents
and many teachers from all parts of the
country, one of the prominent educa-
tors said in the study of the question of
civil service reform lie had been struck
with its application to the public school
system. The spoils system, of which so
much was said in politics, had made its
appearance in the schools. Places on
the money in them. If it were the pur-
chase of site, the selection of plan,
or the giving of a contract, it was not
the most suitable site, or the best plan
or the most advantageous contract that
controlled the selection, but the per
cent. the members of the board were to
get from the transaction.
Washington is to have new institu-
tion, namely bureau of information,
which will make it business, for n
moderate fee, to answer all questions
that may be sent to it-lterary, scien'
tific, departmental, political, etc. On
this its people are to be congratulated,
as well as members of Congress. The
latter justly complain that their time is
continually taken up in looking after
trifling matters for their constituents,
and citizens are constantly applied 10 by
acquaintances in different parts of the
country for information obtainable here.
Such bureau here could perform a
great and useful service to the people
throu ghout the country, for the Nation
al Capital possesses unequaled sources
of knowledge.
| This reminds me of the sorrows of a
| United States consul at one of the South
American ports, who has been pouring
out his heart by letter to friend in thi:
city. In the first place he said he was
not allowed to keep a clerk, yet almost
every mail brought letters with ou
stamps for return postage) asking for in
formation. There were letters wanting
to know about that country and letters
from naval officers requesting different
commissions, A merchant writes to get
the commercial standing of various par
ties, and Others write for complete lis
of the business houses in Brazil. On,
man writes to inquire as to the will ot
some one who might have died in til,
Argentine Republic or Uruguay abuu
the year 1870, although it might hav,
been earlier or later than that.
The poor man thinks the consul's life
is anything but happy one and says he
will be obliged to resign soon unles.
the Government does something for his
relief. lie says he tries to answer each
communication to the best Of his abli
| ty. If his answers please he gets nc
thanks. If they do not he gets abuse
and threats for not attending to tie
writer's business.